Running With Monsters
by Jidt
Summary: About 2 years after the events of DOC, new villians with familiar faces come and wreck the peace longed for in Gaia, and someone's going to have to take the blame. NO SLASH! Just two main characters. No romance, but implied Tifa/Cloud. -Hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

**Running with Monsters**

Chapter One

"Gah!" Vincent Valentine gasped as he woke and sat up, clutching his left arm. The Bio-mechanical arm that had replaced his old one about thirty-five years ago twitched, and Vincent winced. It hadn't ached this much for a good four months, and he had no idea why it was starting to now. He looked around his little room. He'd left the desolate basement of Shinra Manor with Cloud and his group five years ago, and hadn't gone back. The room he currently occupied was in the town of Kalm, where he'd first encountered Deepground two years ago.

His little apartment rested on the top floor of the 5-floor building, and he liked it that way. It was out of the way, but not high enough that the turmoil of everyday Kalm life intruded on his own.

Vincent swung his legs out of bed and onto the floor. Both his feet, also bio-mechanized, were forever stuck in golden, pointy, and rather cumbersome boots. He didn't sigh, but just frowned. He stood made his way into the small washroom across the even smaller hallway.

Vincent took off his black pajama pants and stepped into the shower. A cold stream of water bit into his bare skin as he turned the knob, and a quick wash and shampoo of his long black hair were rushed as he tried to avoid prolonged exposure.

As he stepped out of the icy current and wrapped a towel around his waste, Vincent caught sight of himself in the mirror. He hadn't changed a single day since Hojo's experiments all those years ago. He looked into his own crimson eyes, then gazed down at the golden gauntlet that the mad scientist had grafted onto him, replacing his own flesh and blood.

His frown deepened as he glared at the claw. Then he just sighed and went back to his room. He put on his usual attire, a tough-looking black suit, and strapped his holster onto his belt. He stopped himself from grimacing as his pointy boots threatened to poke holes in his pants as they caught, but he got them through. He swung his crimson cloak over his shoulders, the mantle falling to nearly his elbows as he buckled it over his chin and down to about half-way down his chest.

He ran his right hand through his hair as he put the red bandana around his head. There. Now he was presentable. His normal day attire was known throughout Gaia, and he wore it, not proudly, he'd never admit to that, but with dignity. And it got people out of his way very effectively.

He had, in no way, advertised the events concerning Chaos and Omega, not even his 'friends' knew the whole story, but somehow, every single person in Kalm, and everywhere else knew, to some degree, that he'd been the hero in that one. Of course no one knew that he had been the flying demon that had struck the final blow to Omega, but they all seemed to know that they were connected somehow. This annoyed Vincent to no end. Chaos' mind not be there anymore, but, unfortunately, Vincent still retained his ability to transform into the winged beast, along with the Galian Beast. His two other forms though, well, he didn't exactly know what had happened to them. Just as well. Two down, two to go.

Vincent's musings were interrupted by a vibrating on his bedside table. He sighed. Getting a phone was useful only when he need something. Now, it was just annoying. He picked up the offending device and looked at the front panel.

STRIFE

He flipped it open.

"Yeah?" Vincent could hear laughing and Cid swearing over the line.

"Vincent." Cloud's soft voice was hard to hear over the phone, but Vincent could make it out just fine.

"Yeah?" He repeated, almost sighing. He heard Cloud chuckle over the ruckus in the background.

"Are you coming today? It's Marlene's birthday, and she really wishes you'd be there..." Cloud trailed off, not quite asking him to come, but putting in out there.

"Give me an hour. I'll be there." Vincent said, and then closed the phone. He sat on his bed, slightly sinking in the soft chocobo down comforter. Yuffie had complained that he had no nice things, and insisted on getting it for him. When she'd dropped it off however, he'd noticed a few materia missing… He'd pay her back for that someday. He'd kept the cushion though. He found it a much nicer alternative to the hard box spring he'd planned on sleeping on.

Vincent rested his chin on his hands, wondering what to get a small girl for her birthday. He refused to be seen buying a small doll, or something embarrassing like that. And he didn't really have anything he could give away that'd be suitable for a small child. Then an idea hit him and he nearly smiled. Perfect.

Vincent walked down the long street to a single garage he kept at the end of the complex. He fit a key into the door and swung it open and silently slipped inside. Then, with a roar, the garage opened and a flash of crimson shot out, riding a sleek black motorcycle. Vincent pushed the 'close' button with his thumb, and the garage slid shut. He revved the engine and sped towards the city limits, heading to Midgar.

The bike roared as Vincent flew over the desolate ground outside the city, gliding over the bumps and curves, wind rushing past as another roar joined the bike's. Vincent looked to his left, and saw a large manned wolf running alongside him. He grinned slightly and nodded towards Red XII, who nodded back and roared again, speeding up. Vincent grabbed the gas harder, and shot forward, keeping even with Red. Midgar was looming over them before Vincent began slowing. Red panted beside him as he parked in a small lot just inside the city limits. Red smiled.

"Marlene's birthday?" He asked in a clipped, sophisticated tongue. Vincent nodded.

"Wonderful. I hope we're not too late." The wolf walked beside Vincent as he made his way towards Tifa's bar, 7th Heaven. They skirted the ruins of sector 7, which was being repaired by the W.R.O., but it would take a while before it was livable again.

Red looked up at Vincent as they walked. The enigmatic man was one of those mysteries that Red was aching to uncover, but a little afraid to. Red and the rest still barely knew anything about Vincent, even after the events with Deepground.

Vincent looked down to see Red staring at him, and the wolf turned away quickly, staring straight ahead. The duo continued walking down the road in this manor, attracting stares and loud whispers as they passed others on the road. They finally arrived at 7th Heaven about half-an-hour after Vincent had parked, and they remained in front of it, staring up. Red's jaw dropped, and Vincent's expression turned mildly surprised. The entire outside of the bar had been all but coated in pink ribbon, white streamers, and balloons of both colors. The door cracked open without their noticing, and a little scream of joy sounded as Yuffie ran out a grabbed Red in a crushing hug. His eyes popped as he looked at the young ninja. Yuffie let go of Red and almost grabbed Vincent, until she saw the expression on his face that said, clearly, _If you try, I will destroy you._ She just grimaced and waved instead.

Vincent and Red followed Yuffie inside, where they were bombarded by even more painfully pink decorations, Along with a chorus of shouts from everyone. Tifa was by the bar, putting the final touched on a pink cake, Barret was running around, blindfolded, with Marlene on his shoulders, with a pin and tail in his normal hand. Cid was at the bar, cheering them on, while Yuffie walked over to Cait Sith and Reeve, who were in the corner with a chess board. Cloud was sitting close to them, a look of confused incredulity on his face as he tried to contemplate how a robot could be beating the person who controlled it that badly.

Red walked over to the chess board, dodging Barret as he went. He sat by Cloud and watched the robot and human duke it out over chess.

Vincent wanted to just drop off the gift, then get out of there, but Tifa spotted him skulking in the corner.

"Vincent!" Tifa rushed over and, ignoring his look, which was less threatening than he gave Yuffie, but scary non-the-less, hugged him around his waist. Vincent looked over her head to see Cid and Cloud sniggering. He glared at them too, and they both shut up, but kept the ridiculous grins on their faces. Tifa released Vincent as Barret came tripping by, giggling like a little girl.

"Whoa! Look Out!" Barret yelled as Marlene laughed in pure euphoria. Vincent leaned back as the pin came within inches of his face, retreated as Barret advanced towards him, led by Marlene pulling on his ears. The pin got closer to his face the next time, forcing him to duck. He slipped under Barret's outstretched arm, grabbing Marlene from his shoulders as the large man slammed into the wall and fell on his rear. Marlene squealed with an excitement not quite fitting her seven year old self, and hugged Vincent. He managed to hold back a glare.

"Happy Birthday." He said, sounding almost excited. Marlene squeezed him again, and then rushed over to Barret, who was rubbing his head and grumbling. She started tickling his ribs, and he let out a loud laugh and swung her by her arms into a stool by the bar.

The party progressed from there. The cake was eaten; even Vincent had a small slice when Marlene insisted. They all played games. Vincent wandered around awkwardly when Cloud pulled his bandana over his eyes and shoved a pin into his hand. It ended up in the wall opposite from the chocobo picture, and everyone laughed when Marlene's was the only one actually on the picture.

Then came presents. Tifa gave Marlene a pink dress that would look very nice on her small form. Yuffie had actually caved and given the girl a small materia, much to everyone's surprise, that grew flowers on command, which Marlene enjoyed extremely. It was a simple enough materia that Marlene could master, with some practice.

Cid gave her a book about planes and how amazing they are… everyone groaned at that one. Red gave her a reed flute that sounded like wind rustling branches when she blew it. Cait Sith read her fortune, proclaiming that she'd have a long happy life with friends she could count on. Everyone but Vincent blushed a little at that. Reeve gave her a "Honorary W.R.O." badge, which she put on with pride.

Cloud walked forward and placed his hands on Marlene's shoulders, looking into her eyes. He smiled, and pulled out a little pink phone.

"When ever you need me, just press 7 and send. I'll answer." He stood and returned to his seat. Marlene smiled and nodded, pocketing the device. Barret Whooped and picked her up.

"You'll never guess what I got you!" He yelled and took off up the stairs, with the rest of the guests trailing along. When they caught up, Barret had his hand over Marlene's eyes and was leading her into her room. She gasped when he removed his hand.

A giant, white, stuffed toy chocobo was sitting in the middle of the room, a pink ribbon around its neck. Marlene ran to it and hugged it, squeezing as hard as she could.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Everyone!" She yelled as she released the stuffed bird and turned to face them. They all smiled. Even Vincent… a little.

Vincent stepped forward, and the room fell silent. He knelt on one knee, and held out his left, gauntleted hand. The fist was closed, and everyone looked at it in curiosity.

"Before I give you this, you should know something. Are you ready?" He asked. Marlene nodded.

"Alright. This was my sisters. A long time ago. So it's important to me. I want you to take care of it for me. Can you do that?" Marlene's surprised look vanished, replaced by a fierce look of determination. Cloud's whispered "_He had a sister?"_ didn't go unnoticed by Vincent, and everyone else, but he just ignored it and opened his claw.

A small, golden materia glowed softly in the middle of his palm, twinkling in the light. Marlene's eyes followed a small spark that escaped into the air and fizzled. Yuffie's shocked gasp made Vincent turn around and look at her, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not… that can't be… is it?" She looked at him, her expression incredulous. He just nodded and turned back to Marlene.

"This is Statolith. The only one of her kind. This summons is completely mastered, and she's very easy to handle. She's the light goddess. Do you think you can handle her?" Marlene's eager face nodded, and Vincent nodded back and placed the orb in her outstretched hand. The summons glowed a little brighter as Marlene slid the materia into a single slot in her necklace.

Vincent stood, and nodded. Turning around, he saw the group's hastily covered surprised expressions as he made his way past them.

"I should be heading back." He said as they made their way back to the bar.

"Wait." Tifa grabbed his human arm, and he paused, halfway out the door. He looked at her, mildly surprised.

"It's your birthday too. Remember, silly?" Vincent couldn't stop his eyebrows from shooting up as he looked over her at the rest, who were all smiling smugly. He looked down at Tifa, who wore an evil grin.

"Come on!" And with surprising strength, she pulled him back in the door and shut out the oncoming darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, welcome to my first ever FFVII story! EVER! So… I may not have all my facts right, so correct me! Please! This is kinda just writing itself…_

_And I DO have Barret's and Cid's song written. Message me enough and I might put it up! I don't own nothing, so on with the copyrighted material!_

… _more or less…_

_The story is mine…_

… _right?_

_*fights of lawyers*_

_MINNNNEEEEE!_

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Two

Vincent had absolutely no idea how Tifa had learnt his birthday was the same day as Marlene's. He himself hadn't celebrated since the experiments, it wasn't like he was getting any older anyways, but the celebration continued, to his slight dismay, unhindered by his reluctance. Cloud somehow managed to tie him to a chair, and force feed him cake while singing, but he didn't really fight back. _Let them have their fun. _He thought.

He didn't think anyone would be able to eat the simple red cake Tifa had made after Marlene's three-tiered one, but, somehow, it was gone within 10 minutes. Vincent actually smiled a little when Marlene went to bed, Tifa got out the drinks, and Barret and Cid were leading a rousing song of "_The Exploits of Ms. Cloud"_

Vincent may not have been there for that particular adventure, but Cloud's blush and look of sadistic anger was enough to tell him it was a story worth knowing. They all eventually ended up sitting around the bar, with a drink in hand, talking. Vincent looked at all his happy friends and a pang hit him. They were getting older. Yuffie was now Queen of Wutai (although she really didn't act it… ever.), Barret was dating a nice lady, Cid had thought about settling down with his "girl" in somewhere other than his ship, and even Red had grown, in size mainly.

But as Vincent looked down at his claw, he was hit with the sharp reality that they'd be dead and gone, while he was forever stuck like this. He wasn't cowardly enough to try suicide, so where did that leave him?

"Vincent?" Tifa asked. He looked up. They were all staring at him curiously.

"Yeah?" He answered, putting a little more expression than usual into his voice.

"I just asked; how old are you?" She answered, smiling. "You haven't changed a bit since we first met." Her face fell as he frowned and looked down. He didn't say anything for a while.

"I'm not really sure." He barely whispered it, but Tifa heard just fine. They all did. Yuffie gasped a little, but that was the only reaction. Cloud and the other just stared at Vincent, not quite believing him.

"Well, let's not worry about that right now. We're supposed to be having a party!" Yuffie shouted, a little forcibly. Cloud nodded and stood. He started to walk towards the bar when a loud rap sounded at the door. They all turned to look at it, not quite sure they'd heard anything. It sounded again, this time a little louder. Cloud cautiously walked towards the door, and Vincent put his hand on the butt of his gun, Cerberus.

Cloud unlatched the top lock and slowly opened the door. Then he swung it open and stood there, anger clear on his face.

"Rufus Shinra. What a surprise." Cloud said as the man rolled in. Still not fully recovered, Rufus remained in the wheelchair. Cloud nodded at the two Turks, Reno and Rude, who were flanking the President. Vincent narrowed his eyes and started pulling out his gun. Something wasn't quite right.

"So, are we having fun? Looks like quite a party." Rufus said uninterestedly, looking around the bar with a detached look.

"What do you want?" Cloud asked, leaning against the bar. Shinra sighed.

"I'm sorry to say that someone here is going to have to come with us. There have been multiple reports of the attack and murder of W.R.O. soldiers recently, and we've just got a positive I.D. on the attacker." Cloud and everyone else gasped, except for Vincent, who just narrowed his eyes. Rufus sighed, and turned his chair towards Vincent, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"I am sorry about this. You've been so helpful. But we're going to have to take you in." And with that, the entire bar lit up. Squads of W.R.O. soldiers stood outside, hiding behind armored trucks, and no less than four helicopters flew into sight, spotlights shining down on them. The group turned to Vincent, mouths hanging open in shock. Vincent re-holstered his gun. He'd have to do this the right way. He looked at Shinra.

"And exactly what did I supposedly do?" Rufus looked into Vincent's burning crimson eyes and cleared his throat, obviously intimidated.

"We have eye-witness reports from over thirty people that say they saw you, or someone like you, jumping from a building a slaughtering over twenty W.R.O. members with your… uh… bare hands." Vincent glared at the man even harder.

"Exactly what do you want?" Cloud asked, stepping up next to Vincent. Vincent looked over at the blond, eyebrow raised.

"Well, we are going to take Vincent to the Midgar prison. If he cooperates, we shouldn't have a problem. If not…" He left the threat hanging as a nervous Reno help up his baton, trying to look intimidating. Of course, he and everyone else knew that Vincent could wipe them all out, easy, but they still had a job to do.

"Fine." Vincent said, and walked out of the bar, with Shinra, the Turks, and the gang following him. Rufus wheeled up a ramp into the nearest truck.

"Reno?" He asked, then pointed to Vincent.

"Right." Reno and Rude walked towards Vincent, who was still slightly standing by the bar door. Reno rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about this. I'm gonna need your gun… and is there anything you can do about…" He gestured to Vincent's gauntlet. Vincent glared at Reno, and handed over Cerberus. Then folded his arms and continued to glare at the Turk.

"Right... sorry." Then Reno ran forward, aiming his baton at Vincent's head. Vincent ducked the blow easily, but felt a sharp sting in the side of his neck. He stood still, and reached up to it, pulling out a rather large blow dart, the vial inside empty. He could feel the tranquilizer pumping through his body, and fell to his knees. Cloud started yelling at Shinra, and, as he collapsed, he saw Tifa running towards him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Three

Vincent's head throbbed as he regained consciousness. He groaned, pressing his right palm against his forehead, hoping it would somehow help. He was stopped, however, from this slight hope as his arm jolted still, barely off the ground. Vincent opened his eyes, frowning down at his arm. His eyes widened. His arm was strapped to the floor, a hard band of metal encasing the lower half. He turned his pounding head to the other side. His left arm had been restrained in a similar manner, but with the metal also covering his hand. He tried to raise his head, but merely succeeded in pressing against the band of metal that held it down.

Vincent scowled, but his eyes were still wide in panic. He never liked hospitals, or being strapped down to things. His… experience with Hojo hadn't helped.

He struggled against the bonds holding him down to no avail. Minutes passed, and he soon collapsed, exhausted. He turned his head to the side, trying to get a jist of his surroundings. He discovered that he wasn't strapped to the floor, but a table. The dark chrome of the walls shone dully in a small industrial light that shone overhead. The large room's corners escaped the light, leaving empty shadows. The small tray to his left side held all types of frightening instruments best left un-described.

Vincent looked over his boots and saw a pile of red set out on a table against the far wall. His cape, guns, holsters, and even his shirt were laid out nicely on the table. He looked down at his scarred chest, wincing at the cold he'd ignored until then.

"Well, looks like somebody's finally awake." Vincent jumped, then groaned as his still-throbbing head banged against the restraint.

"Reno." He said, contempt heavy in his usually unemotional voice. Reno put a sarcastic hand over his heart.

"Oh Vince. That hurts. Look, it's not like I wanna do this alright? You really think I ever wanna see you again if you get out?" He shrugged. "Then again, that is a big if…"

"Reno. What's going on? Where's Shinra?" Vincent twisted his head, but he could hardly see Reno. The red-head laughed.

"You really think Rufus Shinra would willingly capture a hero of three wars? Of course not."

"What?"

"Oh that's right. You can't see me, can you." Vincent heard the jingling of chains.

"You're not the only one in trouble you know. I was just the first one to wake up. There's something weird going on here. I've been here since Monday."

"What? You were the one who brought me here. You, Rude, and Rufus." Vincent said, his headache increasing.

"They're all here with me buddy. You must've met the Phoenix soldiers."

"Phoenix?"

"Yeah. I don't really know anything about them. At all. No one does. All we know is that they can take the appearance of anyone, at will. Not exactly helpful…"

"To you, that is." A new voice sounded from the corner. Vincent tensed visibly. It couldn't be, he was dead.

"I'm sure this is strange for you Vincent Valentine. But surely, you didn't think I'd give up so easily?"

"Hojo, you bastard." Vincent growled as he pressed against his restraints with renewed vigor.

"Vincent, it's not him! It's a Phoenix!" Reno yelled, but Vincent ignored him. Hojo stepped out of the shadows, chuckling darkly.

Reno watched as Hojo approached Vincent, and picked up a rather nasty-looking tool from the tray.

"I've missed you Valentine. You're just so much fun." Hojo bent over the ex-Turk, and Reno looked away as Vincent screamed.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked Rufus. They all sat around a table in 7th Heaven,

the group glaring openly at the odd man out.

"I though that was clear. We had to take Mr. Valentine into the base for questioning."

"Shinra, we all know that you don't run things around here anymore." Reeve said, leaning forward. Rufus glared back.

"I still have enough authority to imprison any person who threatens me or those around me. And since I knew you wouldn't do it…" Rufus let the words hang over everyone's heads. They all softened a little. They knew they wouldn't have even accused Vincent, let alone lock him up. They weren't even sure they could've if they'd wanted to.

"Where is he? I need to talk to him." Cloud said, standing. Tifa nodded, and stood too. Rufus looked up at them, and nodded. Cloud turned to the rest.

"You guys stay here. Take care of Marlene. And get Denzel back from that academy. He should be here." Barret nodded, and ran out the door. Cloud looked back at Rufus.

"Let's go."

Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus made their way down a dark hall lined with cells. Most were empty. At the end of the hall was a solid steel door, flanked by two Turks, Elena and Tseng. Rufus nodded at them, and they moved aside. Cloud stepped forward and opened the door.

Vincent laid comfortably on a cot in the cell, playing with the buckles on his cloak. He looked up at the sound of the door opening, and Cloud could tell he was barely suppressing a smile.

"You guys took long enough." He stood, and walked over to them. Cloud looked his friend over. Vincent walked towards him, but as he walked, his pointy boots caught on the floor, and he tripped, nearly falling on Tifa. He righted himself almost immediately.

"Sorry ab-" He was cut off as Cloud's fist met his jaw. He fell back to the floor, looking up, remaining completely still as Tsurugi pressed against his throat. Tifa jumped around the duo, ran out of the cell, and shut the door behind her. Shouts sounded, and soon Cloud could hear Barret yelling, Cid swearing, and Red XII roaring as they fought off the Turks and soldiers.

Vincent looked up at Cloud who was glaring down at him with utter comtempt.

"C-Cloud? What's wrong?" Vincent stuttered.

"Drop the act. Vincent Valentine. Where is he?" Cloud asked, snarling and pressing harder on the blade.

"W-What? I'm Vincent!"

"Bull. In the long time I've known him, Vincent Valentine has never tripped, never apologized for trivial things, and there's no way in hell he'd stutter."

'Vincent' smirked smugly.

"Well, you caught on fast than expected." 'Vincent' smirked, then, with inhuman speed and strength, slipped out from the sword and grabbed Cloud's throat, throwing him against the cell door. Cloud choked, trying to catch his breath, clutching his sword. 'Vincent' walked over to him, and placed a heavy boot on his chest, pointy tip pressing against his throat.

"I wish you the best of luck in finding your friend. You'll need it." And with that, 'Vincent Valentine' kicked Cloud in the head with his heel, and the swordsman faded to unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Four

Vincent laid on the table, sweating and bleeding as Hojo cleaned his tools. Mercy was not in the man's otherwise extensive vocabulary, and the ex-Turk was not given any. The only man to ever elicit a scream from him wasn't holding back.

Even now, Vincent's left arm, or what was left of it, bled freely from where the madman had removed the bio-mechanical replacement. Hojo had prolonged the painful experience; pulling, cutting, and effectively destroying every wiry nerve substitute that had attached to his own. The entire process had taken the better part of four hours.

Reno still sat against the wall, joined by the now-conscious Rude and Rufus, who had been woken by Vincent's screams. None of them had said a word as Hojo had worked, they just tried to block out the sounds of torture.

"Well now, what do we have here?" Hojo bent over Vincent, poking a large scar on the left side of his chest. Vincent winced and tried no turn away. Hojo smirked.

"That's right! Now I remember." He jabbed the scar harder.

"Stop." Vincent's voice was hoarse and soft, but Hojo just cackeled.

"The Proto-Materia, correct?" Vincent's glare merely confirmed it.

"Don't worry Vinny. It's not like you really need it anymore anyways. Chaos has returned to the Lifestream, remember?" Hojo didn't miss the surprised look the flitted over Vincent's face.

"Ah. You thought that I'm that uninformed? No. I know much more than you could ever guess." And with that, Hojo grabbed a scalpel and sliced it through the scar tissue, towards the hidden Proto-Materia. Vincent's screams echoed through the lab, mixing with the silence, then fading into nothing.

Cloud groaned as he stirred, raising his hand to gingerly pat the swollen lump on the side of his head. He groggily sat up, eyes squinted shut against the throbbing pain. He rolled his shoulders, popping his neck, and opened his eyes. He looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings of his room in Tifa's bar. He was lying on his bed, still fully dressed, on top of the sheets, with sunlight pouring in through the curtains.

Cloud swung his booted feet off the bed and stood, swaying as his vision went dark for a few seconds. He clutched at the bed-stand for support as his other hand went to press against his forehead.

"Oh. You're up." Cloud released his head and looked over at Tifa, who was making her way up the stairs. He sat back on the bed as he noticed the small tray of bacon and eggs, along with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. He smiled and took the tray from her, sliding over to let her sit next to him. He looked over at her.

"So, what happened back there?" He asked, chewing on a slice of bacon. Tifa sighed. Cloud stopped chewing and placed the meat back on the tray.

"That bad huh?" He said, looking down at the meal.

"After I closed the door, Reno and Rude showed up, and they, along with Elena and Tseng pretty much jumped me. If Barret and the others hadn't shown up…" She shook her head. Cloud gave her a curious look.

"Why were they there anyways?" Tifa chuckled dryly at Cloud's question.

"You really think they'd let you and I be alone with Rufus Shinra?" Cloud echoed her chuckle.

"Good point." He picked the bacon back up and continued eating. "So, what now?" He plopped the rest of the bacon into his mouth, and started on the egg. Tifa shrugged.

"I've really got no idea. Vincent ran out, said you fainted, and disappeared. What happened to you?" Cloud started sipping the coffee.

"Tifa, we both know that wasn't Vincent." She nodded. "We had a… chat, and it ended badly." He set the now empty cup back onto the tray and stood, holding the empty tray in front of him. Tifa stood too. "We need to find Vincent. The real one. Where he is, he's probably not too happy." Tifa nodded, and together they went down the stairs.

As Vincent regained consciousness for the second time in as many days, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't strapped to a table anymore. The second thing was a stabbing pain coming from his chest. He grabbed at it with his hand, willing it away. This wasn't the throbbing agony that had surfaced when he'd first lost the Proto-Materia, and Chaos was taking over. No, this was just agony, plain and simple.

He laid his head back onto the floor, letting his hand rest against his chest. His right hand. The left one was still… missing. He remained laying there in pain, eyes shut, until he heard Reno speak.

"Vince? You awake?" Vincent cracked one eye open and glared at the red-head, who looked surprised.

"Vincent." Vincent opened his other eye to glare at Rufus Shinra, who was looking at him curiously from the blank wall to his left. Vincent shut both his eyes again, then groaned as he propped himself up on his arm, gently shaking his head.

"What happened?" He asked, leaning over his outstretched legs and rubbing his head.

"You must've fainted when Hojo took that glowing orb from your chest." Rufus said flatly. Vincent opened his eyes. "He dragged you in here with the rest of us when he stitched you up. It was… strange. He replaced the orb with another, only this one is dark, almost black." Vincent sat up a little straighter, feeling the wound.

"Another?" He asked, poking the stitches. Hojo hadn't seen fit to return his shirt. The cold of the cell was starting to seep in. Vincent looked around the small room, with barely enough space for the three men in there. Reno nodded.

"Yeah… I tell you what man, that thing, whatever it was, I didn't like it. It almost felt… evil." Rufus and Vincent both looked at the Turk, who shrugged. Vincent went back to examining his wound, and Rufus crawled over to sit by him.

"Vincent. Do you know what's going on?" He asked. Vincent shook his head reluctantly. Rufus sighed.

"This gang, the Phoenix Gang, is constructed from the remnants of an ancient civilization. Older than the Ancients even. Their culture centers around the practice of what they call, "Blood Magic". They believe that they can gain power from sacrificing other sentient creatures, and apparently this has some truth. They are able to take the form of any humanoid creature they encounter. Flawlessly." Vincent fixed Rufus with a slightly surprised glare. Rufus looked back into the crimson eyes and nodded.

"How many?" Vincent asked, not looking away. Rufus sighed, looking down.

"I have no idea. There could be just a few select, or hundreds. Although the first option is the most likely one. I think we'd have noticed if hundreds of people started disappearing." Vincent nodded his agreement. "So far, all we know is that doppelgangers of nearly every important person from the three wars have been running around, using our identities for rather… undesirable means. I've heard that the one playing as you wiped out twenty W.R.O. agents, in broad daylight, around dozens of witnesses. They're not being subtle about this. I fear your friends may be headed down the same road we're on, whether they want to or not." Rufus ended his spheal, looking back at Vincent.

The gunman wore a look of fierce determination under the fragile sense of calm. He sat up, gasping in pain through clenched teeth, and tried to stand. He got to a kneeling position before the wound in his chest gave a pulse of agony, and he grabbed at it with his hand, nearly toppling over. Reno was by his side instantly, and together, he and Rufus lowered Vincent back to the floor.

"That's not a good idea..." Reno said, looking at Vincent, who had started to shake, rather violently. Rufus put his hand against the ex-Turk's forehead.

"He's burning up. Reno, your jacket." The red-head removed his coat and put it over Vincent's bare chest. Vincent's eyes were squinted shut, and his breath was coming out in rasping gasps through his teeth. Reno looked over Vincent's trembling form at Rufus.

"Well now, looks like somebody's not doing to well." Rufus and Reno looked at the barred door to see Hojo standing there, syringe in hand, smirking down at them. He cackled.

"I'd thought that Mr. Valentine here would've put up a little more of a fight. Pity." Hojo cracked his neck as he reached down with his free right hand, pulling a simple handgun out of its side holster. He waved Rufus and Reno away, and they backed up slowly as the scientist opened the door. Two armed guards had appeared around the corner and stepped into sight as the madman bent over Vincent and stuck the needle in his neck.

The empty vial soon sloshed with dark blood, and Hojo stood once it had filled.

"Well, this should prove very useful. I don't think I'll be needing any of you anymore. Thank you so much for all your wonderful help!" And with that, he turned and walked out, motioning to the guards as he left. They raised their weapons and aimed at Rufus and Reno.

_HAHAHAHA! Cliffhanger! Sorry! I'm already done with the next chapter, but it looks like you'll all (you'll all? Or you will all? Ah I don't care…) have to wait until tomorrow! I'm being lazy._


	5. Chapter 5

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Five

Cloud and Tifa ran out the door, leaving the rest of the group to defend the 7th Heaven, Denzel, and Marlene. Cloud started up Fenrir, which was parked just outside the bar, and Tifa jumped on behind him. The two zoomed away before Barret or anyone else could get a word in edgewise. Barret felt a tug on his shirt, and looked down at Marlene.

"Where are they going?" Barret smiled at the little girl and reached down. Picking her up, he placed her on his shoulders and looked after the swiftly fading motorcycle.

"They're gonna go get Vince."

Cloud and Tifa sped through the barren wastelands that bordered the ruins of Midgar, heading out towards their destination. They'd discussed what to do before they left.

_ "Cloud? What are we going to do? We don't even know where they're keeping him, let alone what's happened to him..." Tifa sat across the table from Cloud, sipping at a glass of water. Cloud leaned over his own glass, looking into the still liquid. _

_ "Tifa, there's only a few places that can hold someone like Vincent. The technology is just too expensive for most places. I'd say he's locked up somewhere he can't get out of. And out of those, only two aren't under constant watch by the W.R.O." Cloud looked up at Tifa. _

_ "So, that would be the old Shirna Building…" Tifa met Cloud's gaze._

_ "Or the Shinra Mansion." He finished her thought, then downed the water in one go. He stood, and held out his hand towards Tifa. _

_ "I'm going to go get Vincent. You coming?" Tifa nodded firmly, then took his hand and stood. Together, they ran out the door, leaving the bar._

Cloud and Tifa ducked their heads low against the wind as they rode into Neibelhiem. The dust that had trailed behind them caught the breeze and danced around the two, cutting off sight and windpipes. Cloud coughed as the dust cleared, waving his hand in front of his face. He looked over at Tifa, who was also coughing as the dust settled. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she stopped coughing, looking over her shoulder at him. Cloud looked away from Tifa, and together they looked up at the dilapidated mansion that was Shinra Manor. The old building sat on an overgrown lawn that rustled in the wind. The blacked-out windows creaked eerily as the walls groaned.

Cloud pulled out his sword and swung it, slicing cleanly through the tall grass, clearing a path towards the entrance of the manor. Tifa followed at a distance, staying clear of the swinging blade. They reached the door, and Cloud pushed at it. The rotted door fell off its hinges to the floor with a muted thud, and Cloud winced. Stepping around the fallen door, they made their way through the mansion, avoiding pieces of collapsed ceiling, and other debris that had been scattered around. Cloud approached the door that led to the basement.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" Cloud stopped, hand on the handle of the oak door. He looked back at Tifa, who was gazing up through a hole in the roof.

"I guess." He started to open the door.

"And we still know next-to-nothing about him." Cloud released the handle and turned to fully face Tifa. She shrugged.

"Vincent's been there for us when we needed help. We've gone through three wars together. What he chooses to tell us is his choice. But I still wonder about him." Tifa looked away from the sky and looked at Cloud, who shrugged.

"I know about as much as you. Vincent's a quiet person. He doesn't talk much. But when he does, it's usually important. He knows things the rest of us couldn't imagine. Let's just take what we can get. Now come on. We have to keep searching." Cloud turned the handle of the door and pushed.

The dark hallway that loomed before them echoed with their footsteps as they walked down it. Tifa had a small flashlight in her hand, but the light it gave off was barely enough to illuminate a few feet in front of them. Cloud has his sword out, ready for anything that might come out of the shadows.

"Where do you think he would be?" Tifa asked, adjusting her hold on the light.

"The lab. There were cells in there, and plenty of room." Cloud continued to walk down the hall, but a little faster than before.

Suddenly, a crash echoed down the hall, making the two jump. Cloud and Tifa sprinted towards the end of the hall, and Cloud wrenched the door open.

Two armed guards stood there, guns pointed at a cell in the wall. Cloud shouted to get their attention, the charged.

The guards raised their guns and fired. Cloud swung his sword in front of him, blocking his center from the bullets. He reached the first guard and swung, then turned and pressed his back against the other guard as the first clutched his bleeding right arm where the hand had just been severed. The guard Cloud backed into was knocked out as his head collided with the concrete wall. Cloud bent down and wiped his blade on the unconscious guard's uniform, then placed it back in the sheath on his back.

Tifa ran over to the cell, then gasped and yelled for Cloud as she took in the sight.

Rufus and Reno sat there, arms still raised over their faces to block shots that didn't come. As Cloud approached, they lowered their arms and sighed in relief. Cloud nodded at them, and then finally saw Vincent.

The gunslinger lay on the floor, unconscious, tossing his head and muttering incoherently. Sweat gleamed on his face, and his eyes were closed tightly in pain. Cloud swung his sword down, slicing through the hinges that held the door. Reno grabbed Rufus and swung him over his shoulder, carrying his boss out as Cloud and Tifa ran to Vincent. Tifa put her hand on his pale forehead.

"He's not doing good Cloud. We have to get him out of here."

Cloud looked at Vincent, who had started shaking when Tifa had touched him, and nodded. He bent low, scooping the man onto his back, much like Reno had done for Rufus. He lifted him easily, then, together with Tifa, jogged out the lab and up the stairs towards the exit. By the time they'd gotten out, Reno and Rufus were already making their way towards town. Tifa made to follow them, but Cloud put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Vince needs help than Neibelhiem can't offer. We have to get him to Midgar." Tifa looked at him, and nodded. Cloud stepped up next to Fenrir and looked at Tifa.

"We'll have to put him between us. Can you hold onto him, make sure he doesn't fall off?" Tifa nodded and climbed onto the motorcycle. Cloud heaved Vincent off his back and sat him upright on the bike, leaning him against Tifa. Then he climbed on in front. He looked back at Tifa, who put her arms around Vincent and held onto Cloud's waist.

"He so thin…" She whispered as the trio rode away towards Midgar.


	6. Chapter 6

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Six

"Hey! We need some help out here!" Cloud and Tifa had arrived in Midgar, and were lifting Vincent off Fenrir, easily carrying him inside the double doors that led to Midgar's only 'hospital'. It was a three-story building that had been converted for medical use when the Sector Seven Hospital had been destroyed. This 'new' building was dark and dreary, with industrial lights only casting darker shadows. The stench of rot and blood hung in the air as dozens of workers and patients scrambled about.

A wiry orderly came jogging to where Cloud and Tifa held Vincent. He examined the unconscious man as he led them to a gurney. He had the two set Vincent on it.

"I'm Ernie. Your friend isn't doing to good. We're going to have to get him into a room ASAP." Cloud nodded his agreement, and the orderly pushed Vincent away. Cloud and Tifa followed the gurney into an elevator, then to a small room on the third floor. Ernie had Cloud help him transfer Vincent off the gurney and onto a drab hospital cot. Ernie then went outside for a moment, and returned with an IV rack and a stack of magazines. He handed the pile to Cloud, and then went around to Vincent's far side, sticking needles in his arm. Cloud looked questioningly at the stack, and set them on the chair in the corner of the room. The orderly made to leave, but Cloud grabbed his shoulder and swung him around.

"I'd like an explanation please. What's wrong with him, and when can he see a real doctor?" The little man quivered under Cloud's glare. Tifa sat on top of the magazines, waiting for an answer.

"All I can tell you is that he's running a high fever, and is dehydrated. He needs to rest. As for a doctor, well, that's why I brought those." He gestured at the stack. "It's going to be an hour, at the least." Cloud glared harder at the man.

"Do you know who that is?" He gestured at Vincent. Ernie shook his head, utterly terrified by Cloud.

"That's Vincent Valentine." Ernie gave Cloud a confused look. Cloud rolled his eyes, and Tifa stepped up next to him.

"The Jenova War? The thing with the Geostigma? Deepground? Are you really that sheltered?" Ernie just shrugged at her. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. She really wished that Cloud hadn't left his sword with the bike.

"Just go get a doctor and tell them who he is. Maybe _someone_," And Cloud stressed the word, "will be a little more knowledgeable than you."

The orderly nodded his head violently, then scrambled out the door, nearly tripping over himself. Tifa walked over to Cloud's side and put her elbow on his shoulder.

"Don't you think you went a little hard on the little guy?" She asked, the ghost of a laugh on her voice. Cloud shrugged her arm off.

"Vincent deserves more than just a faint recognition. He's done to much to just be pushed to the sideline." Tifa frowned.

"Cloud…" She started, but stopped herself. "Cloud, I know that Vincent, along with everyone else has done more for the planet than anyone could imagine. But that's just the problem with being a 'hero'. Praise and glory just aren't guaranteed. Besides, do you really think someone like Vince would want everyone to know who he is? Everyone in Kalm is already afraid of him just walking down the street, and they hardly know anything. I think Vincent…" Tifa stopped as Vincent groaned, tossing his head on the small pillow, eyelids fluttering. Tifa and Cloud ran over to his side, leaning over his prone form.

Suddenly, Vincent's eyes snapped open. His crimson eyes were bloodshot, pupils dilated, giving him a demonic appearance. The duo stepped back quickly as Vincent's mouth began moving, muttering incoherently. They exchanged worried glances, then Tifa gasped as Vincent threw his head back and screamed.

A dark aura flowed from the ex-Turk's body, engulfing him in a violet haze. Cloud pushed Tifa back and stepped in front of her. They could hear Vincent's groans becoming deeper and more guttural as the mist thickened, then faded to reveal an angry-looking Beast. The Gallian Beast sat up and turned towards the duo, teeth bared and growling. Cloud stretched over and grabbed the IV holder, wrenching it from the Beast's arm and holding it in front of himself.

The Gallian Beast growled louder, the seemed to materialize off the bed, and was suddenly in front of Cloud, swinging its muscled arm and catching the swordsman in the middle, throwing him against Tifa and into the wall, where they slumped, Tifa now unconscious. The Beast glared at Cloud, the cocked its hand back, gathering fiery energy in its hand.

It was only then that Cloud realized that Vincent's left gauntlet was missing in this form as well. The Gallian Beast's left arm ended in a cauterized stump just above where the elbow would've been.

Cloud turned his attention back to the fireball as the Beast looked to the ceiling and threw his arm upwards. Debris fell from the ceiling as the Beast jumped straight upwards through the hole towards the clear night sky.

The silluette disappeared in moments, but Cloud just continued staring at the hole his friend had disappeared through.

Cloud didn't react as the orderly returned and, looking at Cloud and Tifa, began yelling for security and more orderlies. He didn't react as they laid Tifa on Vincent's former bed and took her vitals. He didn't react when they told him that it was just a small concussion. He didn't react as they looked him over, confused to his stoticness. He didn't even notice when they heaved him onto a cot next to Tifa and hooked him up to a drip, claiming he was in some sort of shock.

Cloud refused to react to the thought that was repeating itself in his head, over and over again. He knew that Vincent didn't like hospitals. He knew Vincent wouldn't hurt him or Tifa intentionally. He knew there was something wrong with the man. But his thoughts continued to return to a single moment, a small thought that had surfaced just as he was hit.

_I knew it. That bastard. He's finally done it. Finally. _

Cloud sat bolt upright as the first rays of dawn danced on the bare skin of his face. He groaned and rubbed his temple with his forefingers. He looked around him, taking in the room before he focused on Tifa's still form, lying on the cot beside his. He stood and, swaying slightly, made his way to her side. He looked down on her, drinking in the sight of her and running his fingers through her rich chocolate hair. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead, then turned on his heel and walked out the open door, closing it softly behind him.

Cloud walked straight past the front desk, not bothering to acknowledge the frantic calling to him of the nurse. He threw the front door open and stalked through it, not bothering to close it. He walked quickly to Fenrir, which was right where he'd left it the night before.

He popped open the side holsters and withdrew Tsurgi, placing it in the holster strapped to his back. The engine roared to life, and the bike shot out into the street.

Cloud didn't know what he was doing. He shook his head slightly as he stopped at a infuriatingly long light. What was he thinking, just leaving Tifa in the room, alone and unconscious? He reached into his pocket for his PHS, only to be surprised that it was already vibrating. He withdrew it and tentatively held it to his ear.

"Hello?" He asked. He hadn't bothered to look at the I.D, so he really had no idea who was on the other end.

"CLOUD! You stupid &^(%! Where the %*#( are you? We've been ^*%#-ing looking for ya' an' Tifa all night!" Cid's loud swearing forced Cloud to hold the PHS slightly away from his ear and eliciting a strange look from the car next to him, which had its window open. He grimaced at the small child to his left, who was looking at him, shocked. He pressed the device back to his ear.

"Cid…" The spearman stopped shouting. "Tifa's unconscious in the hospital. I just woke up myself. Send someone to take care of her. I've got something I need to do."

He shut the phone on Cid's furious exclamation as the light changed and he shot forward.


	7. Chapter 7

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Seven

_Okay, for starters, I just want to say hello! I feel like I haven't said anything for a while, and I'm feeling lonely :'( Anyways, Thanks to ya'll for reading this far! I think that the story is getting kinda dark, which I like, but I think this is going to be a mostly informative chapter. Oh, and I just want to say that Hojo DID re-attach Vincent's boots. I'm just to lazy to go back and re-write! :P I want to warn you though, I really have nothing planned, and I'm really just letting it write itself. Good luck!_

Cloud stopped his bike miles outside the dark shadow of Midgar as twilight began to settle itself on the barren land. The thundering roar of Fenrir quieted to a soft growl as Cloud swung his legs onto the dusty ground, rolling his shoulders and neck. He'd spent hours tracking Chaos out to the plains, mainly going off the frightened testimony of people he'd found on the street and interrogated. Only a few stayed to chat, most just ran off babbling about a "Red-eyed demon".

Cloud looked around him, studying the landscape. The rolling plains had long since re-grown the sparse foliage it housed now, the grass still weak and fragile. He bent down to caress the broken greenery, crushed by a large clawed foot. His eyes narrowed as he reached around and shut Fenrir down completely.

Cloud scanned the horizon again, this time really drinking it in. The distance between him and the cliffs of a canyon was obvious, but the red rock stood out in the setting sun. The rippling breeze shook the grass, making it sway back and forth gently. Cloud's gaze settled on a small rock outcropping barely five-hundred yards from his current position. He nodded to himself, and started walking.

The five-hundred yards felt infinitely longer once the storms blew in. Cloud's bare skin on his arms and face was battered by needle-thin raindrops, stinging and pounding the bruises he'd acquired of late. The insistent wind pushed against him, urging him back to the relative safety of the indoors, but Cloud pushed his way to a small cave in one of the larger rocks.

Cloud shouldered his way into the small opening, for once happy he was a little shorter than average. He did have some trouble when Tsurgi got stuck in the opening though. He bounced back against the rock as it wedged itself in, grunting with surprise. As he wrestled with the sword, he managed to catch a small glimpse of a shadow flitting across the dark walls. His bright eyes widened in surprise as he struggled even harder against the rock that held him captive.

"Who's there?" He demanded, trying not to let a little desperation creep into his shout. He was completely powerless until he managed to get free, and he knew it. The desperation was replaced by a aching concern as someone fell away from the wall and onto the floor, sprawled in unconsciousness.

"Vincent?"

After Cloud had somehow managed to remove himself from the entrance, he knelt down beside the gunslinger's still form. His stump of an arm had been cauterized and was healing nicely already, but the man still looked ghostly. Cloud arranged the man as comfortably as possible, and then searched the rest of the cave. All he managed to find was Vincent's red cloak, which he laid over the man's shivering body. He shook his head as he looked outside at the torrent that seemed to surge with renewed vigor. He sighed as he resigned himself to a long, wet stay in the cave.

Hours passed, and Cloud somehow managed to catch some sleep, leaning against the cold wall of the cave. He started awake as something interrupted his sleep, to discover he'd ended up curled on the floor. He struggled upright as the noise that had woken him repeated. He looked around as the… growling? continued. His eyes fell on the struggling form of Vincent as his friend convulsed and growled. Cloud felt helpless as Vincent let out a soft moan that echoed with agony as his crimson eyes cracked open.

"Vincent? It's Cloud." Cloud sat forward on his heels as the gunslinger turned his head to face him.

"Water" He mouthed, and Cloud immediately reached to his oversized belt, pulling out a bottle of water. He opened it and placed it in Vincent's outstretched hand. The hand surged forward, grabbing the bottle and closing on it, pulling it away with surprising strength. Vincent lifted the bottle to his mouth and swallowed its entire contents in one go. He threw the bottle to the corner and struggled to sit up.

Cloud rushed to Vincent's side, helping his friend sit up against the wall of the cave.

"Where are we?" Vincent asked, his deep voice harsh and scratchy.

"A cave, a couple dozen miles from Midgar." Cloud answered. Vincent opened his mouth to speak again, but subsided into a fit of hacking coughs that made Cloud reach to him in concern. Vincent pushed Cloud's hand away and shook his head weakly.

"What happened?"

Cloud told Vincent all that had happened since the other man's capture. From meeting with Rufus to his search for the gunslinger. Vincent only nodded and frowned.

"Another Vincent?" He asked, once Cloud had finished his story. The blond nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Painfully obvious he wasn't you, but still nasty." Cloud studied the older man's reaction and was slightly surprised when he just sighed and nodded slightly. Cloud tilted his head to the side a little.

"The Phoenix Gang. That's their name. They practice an ancient art of magic centered around human sacrifices." Cloud leaned back a little in disgust as Vincent continued.

"The real Rufus and Reno were with me, and Shinra seemed to know a lot. He told me that the higher members who'd perfected the art had the ability to change appearances, enabling them to look like anyone they choose." Vincent's dark gaze settled on Cloud.

"We need to get back to Midgar. As quickly as possible." He looked out at the downpour and his head fell a little. "After the storm. I don't think I can move well at the moment." He looked back at Cloud, who was slightly shocked at the man's confession. Vincent's harsh gaze seemed to weaken as he stared at Cloud. His head fell again.

"Do you have anything to eat?" He asked. Cloud's mouth fell open. Vincent, in all the time they'd know each other, had never eaten with anyone else. Cloud had started to believe the man didn't eat. He nodded and reached into a sack on his belt, pulling out a small bag of jerky, two granola bars, and a bruised apple. He put the pile in Vincent's lap, hesitating, but continuing when the gunman made no move to stop him. Vincent seemed to stare at the pile of food in his lap, and then Cloud jumped a little as his hand shot out and seized the bag of jerky.

Fumbling with the plastic tie, Vincent held the bag in his one hand, which was shaking slightly. He finally got the tie undone, and his hand fished inside the bag, pulling out one of the larger pieces. He held it to his mouth and ripped off a chunk of it, chewing with a haste Cloud didn't think possible.

All the food was gone within minutes. The wrappers were in a neat little pile beside Vincent, who was chewing on the last piece of jerky before swallowing. Cloud had watched the entire spectacle, barely moving as the ex-Turk devoured the meal. Vincent didn't look up as he shifted in place, turning his head away from the swordsman.

"Thank you, but that won't hold me for long. We need to get back to Midgar." Cloud stared harder. He could only say what was on his mind though.

"Wow." Cloud regretted the word as Vincent turned his head back to face him, crimson eyes burning slightly.

"Wow?" The man repeated, raising an eyebrow. Cloud seemed to shrink slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Well, it's just that I've never really seen you actually eat, or drink, or really even sleep." Vincent's glare softened a bit.

"I usually don't need to. One _good _meal a week is usually all I need." Cloud raised an eyebrow of his own. Vincent looked at the blonde's expression and sighed.

"Chaos. It takes a lot of energy to keep it going, and it takes my own." Cloud face fell as he looked away from Vincent.

"Vincent, what happened back there, in the hospital?" Cloud could actually see Vincent stiffen and clench his teeth.

"Forgive me. I'm afraid that hospitals of any type seem to trigger a rather violent response I can't quite control. I can't yet discern the difference from a lab and a cot quite yet." Vincent's eyes narrowed and Cloud saw him tense even more as his right hand subconsciously clutched his left forearm.

"No, it's okay Vincent. I didn't quite realize what would happen once you woke." Cloud stood and looked down at the gunslinger, who continued to stare blankly at the floor. He looked towards the entrance, and a small grin emerged on his features.

"The rain's stopped. I'll get Fenrir and come back." Vincent nodded his thanks and slumped back against the wall. Cloud cast one last worried glance at him before sliding through the doorway and ran to his bike. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Eight

Cloud half-carried Vincent off Fenrir and into 7th Heaven. The ride back had been rather taxing on the man, and Vincent could hardly stand. Cloud deposited him in a booth, where he nearly fell over onto his side. Cloud steadied him and Vincent looked up at him with weary eyes and nodded his thanks.

The rest of the gang was with Tifa at the moment, leaving 7th Heaven completely disserted. Cloud looked in the fridge behind the bar for something for Vincent, but came up empty-handed. They needed to re-stock. Cloud looked back at Vincent and shrugged.

Vincent sighed.

"In my room, under the bed. Bring down the trunk. The big wooden one. I wouldn't mess with the rest if I were you." Cloud nodded and rushed upstairs.

He'd never been in Vincent's room, even if the ex-Turk never really stayed in it. The overall look was basically the same as the rest of the generic rooms in the building. No little homely touches decorated the mirror, dresser, or nightstand like Cloud's. The only thing that stood out was Vincent's arsenal and trunks.

Cerberus lay out on a black metal trunk at the foot of the bed-frame where Cloud had put it the night Vincent had been taken. Griffon and Hydra were in holsters of their own, hanging from the closet bar in the corner of the room. Cloud knew that Death Penalty was nestled in the secure trunk, hidden from the world. Vincent had locked it away after Deepground, and didn't plan on getting it out anytime soon.

Death Penalty, which collected the souls of whomever it killed, was the most powerful weapon Vincent owned, but the gunslinger hadn't opened the trunk since he'd locked it. There was such thing as too much power.

Cloud searched though all the crates under the bed. Nearly a dozen dusty boxes, most locked, were all long since pushed to the side, clearing a neat path to a single light-wooded one amongst the black metal.

Cloud pulled the surprisingly heavy crate out from its refuge and lugged it out of the room and down the stairs. He heaved it onto the table in front of Vincent, groaning with effort. The gunman grimly nodded his thanks and motioned for Cloud to leave. Cloud, surprised at being dismissed so suddenly, turned on his heel and walked out of the room. However, he did have a method of spying. Tifa had installed a small, nearly-undetectable video camera that looked over the entire bar. Security, although she could handle herself, was nice. Cloud trudged up to Tifa's room and closed the door lightly. He sat himself down at the computer, which was still streaming live from downstairs.

Cloud watched as Vincent produced a small key ring from out of nowhere and inserted the smallest into the hidden key-hole in the crate. It creaked open as Vincent weakly pushed at it. His hand slowly reached in, and withdrew a single steak.

Cloud's eyebrows rose at this. Vincent had shooed him away to eat steak? Then he wrinkled his nose as the gunman raised the raw steak to his lips and took a large bite.

Cloud continued to watch in disgust as Vincent efficiently devoured the raw meat. No trace remained as Vincent took the final bite. The gunman bowed his head as he closed the crate's lid. Then he looked straight at the camera, and at Cloud, wide eyes clouded in defeat.

Cloud didn't know how to react to what he'd just witnessed. Vincent's 'meal' had sickened him to his very core, and what was worse, Cloud was sure the gunman knew he'd been watching. Cloud's mind was in turmoil. What should he do now? He knew that Vincent would never mention the event, but Cloud felt that he should ask about it.

_No, you idiot. If Vincent wanted to talk about it, he wouldn't have shoo-ed you away._

Ah. The little voices in his head were talking to him. Again. Tifa called it his 'conscience'. Cloud just called it an annoyance. He could make decisions by himself without invisible voices nagging him, thank you very much.

Cloud shook hid head at himself. _He_ needed to talk to Vincent about this, even if the ex-Turk said nothing back.

_Leave him be, you dolt. A man's past is his own. Not yours. _

**Oh come on**, Cloud said to the little voice. **He's badgered me about mine often enough…**

…_He asked only what needed to be asked. Vincent's only concern then was for you. You were going a little insane back then…_

**Wait… just me, huh? Then just what does that make you? **Cloud shot back at the voice, effectively shutting it up. Unfortunately, it had a point.

Cloud looked up, finally paying attention to where he was going. As he'd argued with himself (Man, he was NEVER telling anyone about that…), his feet had led him straight to the doorway that led to the kitchen. He paused outside it, still debating whether or not to confront Vincent. Muffled footsteps snapped him out of his reverie.

"Cloud?" A high, feminine voice asked behind him. He cringed inwardly, turning to face Yuffie, who was standing behind him, eyebrows raised as she took in the blond swordsman hiding behind a stack of crates next to the kitchen. Cloud forced a smile, hoping it didn't look to fake.

Yuffie smirked.

"Okay. Whatever it is you're doing here, I promise not to tell anyone." Cloud's eyes widened in shock.

"Really?" He whispered. Yuffie's smirk widened.

"Of course, it's gonna cost ya'." Cloud groaned. Of course. He glared at the ninja, who was still grinning evil-y as he dug in his pockets. He pulled out exactly twenty gil, a small level two fire material, and his hairbrush. He held them out to Yuffie, who just looked at them, then up at Cloud. Cloud barely caught the manic look in her eyes before she snatched the hairbrush and sprinted down the hallway.

"Crazy ninja." He said, then cursed himself for saying it in a normal voice.

"Excuse me?" Cloud winced visibly and hung his head in defeat as he turned to face the speaker, who was behind him. He didn't look up as he spoke.

"Vincent, sorry. Yuffie..." Vincent cut him off with a wave of his claw.

"It is of no importance to me. I merely wished to thank you for retrieving my belongings for me." Cloud stared at the gunman, mouth actually falling open a bit. Vincent looked completely rejuvenated. Not a hair out of its usual messy place, the cold calm returned to his face.

"'s no problem. I'm glad I could help. You doing better?" He asked the obvious, and Vincent nodded. Cloud smiled slightly. Then Vincent turned on his heel and walked up the stairs, black chest in his hand, to his room, closing the door behind him.

Cloud looked after him, slightly perturbed by the sudden dismissal. Then he shrugged and walked into the kitchen, a smirk of his own forming as he planned for revenge on Yuffie.


	9. Chapter 9

**Running With Monsters**

**Chapter Nine**

Yuffie cackled like a jackal as she sprinted up the stairs and down the hallway, prize in hand. The drab scenery blurred as she leapt into her room, locking the door behind her. Yuffie slumped against the door, eyes shut tight as she tried to preserve the perfect image of Cloud's stunned face, only to have them fly back open as she tried to muffle her giggling. She succeeded only in turning her giggle into a snort, and was soon rolling on the floor, holding her stomach and all but crying with mirth.

Somewhere in Yuffie's overwhelmed mind, a little voice wondered what Cloud had been so desperate to shoo her away. She'd vied for that hairbrush since Meteor, but why was he (kind of…) giving it away so freely now? _Hmmm…_ Then that little sane part shrugged its little metaphorical shoulders. It didn't really care… but Yuffie would definitely be sneaking around more often if this is what happened.

Tifa shook her head as she walked by Yuffie's room. She sighed as the ninja's snorting echoed in the empty hallway, and kept walking. One learned not to try to bother Yuffie when she was in one of her little 'fits'. She was worse than a chipmunk with one of those new caffeine supplements, which were supposed to be for battle use only… Yuffie wasn't allowed to have any anymore, for good reason.

Tifa walked down the stairs towards her bar, which was supposed to be opening for the night soon. She paused as she saw an overdone spike of blond hair. Only one person in the world could actually get their hair to defy gravity like that… Cloud.

She raised her eyebrow slightly as the spike bobbed around, like the owner was shaking his head, or listening to some pretty heavy music… probably the first. She shook her own head and shrugged, walking into the bar.

Barrett and Marlene wandered down the streets of Kalm, Denzel in tow. After promising Tifa that he'd keep them safe, Barrett had taken the two shopping, something he wasn't that wonderful at. Marlene was the real brains behind the whole excursion. Denzel was no help at all. The kid couldn't stop laughing when Barrett, through Marlene's insistence, grudgingly tried on a fuzzy pink tutu. Barrett growled a little when he gave into her demands, but forced a smile as she clapped and asked his to buy it for her. Just seeing her that happy was worth Denzel's inevitable story-telling to the rest of the gang.

Nanaki and Cait Sith grimaced, as best they could, to one another as they followed Cid and Reeve through the ruins of Downtown Midgar. The section Tifa's newly-repaired Seventh Heaven resided in was, so far, the only section that had been repaired by the WRO. While the rest was worked on diligently, it was far from livable, except from the hordes of monsters and rats. Lots of rats. The four wandered down here early that morning for a newly-instated routine of extermination of the monsters that were too much for the WRO. Reeve was really just tagging along for recording reasons, even though Cid had argued: "You're pretty *^#&$# useless, you know that, right?" And Reeve had just smiled in a slightly manic way Cait was well used to. The robotic cat had assured Cid that he'd look after "The Luggage".

Vincent lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, but not really paying any attention to it. The wooden chest was once again tucked away under his bed, once again with its forgotten companions. Vincent really had no idea why he kept all of Hojo's old notes and research under his bed, hidden from his companions, but there they remained, until he felt he could finally face solid documentation of the madman's experiments. Or they were really needed. Unfortunately, he felt that time was fast approaching. The Phoenix Gang; research was needed, but not yet.

Cloud remained behind his little stack of crates long after Vincent had left, and Tifa came. No, he wasn't listening to anything, except for the arguing in his own mind. Battling with himself was no new concept to the swordsman, but he'd never argued about something so trivial.

_That doesn't exactly make me sound all that sane… Me, being used to talking to myself._

He shook his head, trying to stifle the unexpected chuckle that rose out of his throat. Him, sane. Definitely a new concept, huh.

But, if he would just act, instead of arguing, would that really help anything? He'd promised himself, long ago, that he'd leave Vincent to his own devices, as long as it wasn't hurting anyone. But what about now? It was painfully obvious that Vincent knew a bit more than he was letting on, but what would be the outcome of letting the information slip out of his hands?

But what if he DID ask? Would he actually get any information out of his friend, or just push it deeper?

Cloud shook his head again. What to do.

_A/N_

_Okay, so some of you wonderful people might've noticed that this was a total filler chapter. I was reading through my stuff, and, along with a bunch of mistakes that I need to go back and fix, (Sorry!) I noticed that I've been neglecting the other characters. So, I slaved over this little update. BE GRATEFUL!_

_With school now fully taken off, I'm having less and less time to type and update. I thought I'd have a little time in class, but I'm getting freaking carpal tunnel from all the notes I'm having to take. So, weekends it is. I'll try to have a new chapter up every weekend (with an extra one this weekend, just 'cause), but I can't make any promises. Sorry! But I do promise I'll finish this story… eventually. _

_And, why isn't anyone reading my little song-fic ideas thingy? I WANT FEEDBACK! XD_

_Oh, and I know no one cares, but I just did my nails with my little nail decorating polish I got. White on one hand, black on the other, with reed and flowers and dots decorating the thumbs, with dots (three in the corners) on the other fingers. It took so freaking long, but I'm happy. My right hand even looks okay! (SO not left-handed)_

_Well, I think I've ranted enough. *Skulks off to little emo corner to write somemore before she gets smacked for ranting*_


	10. Chapter 10

**Running With Monsters**

**Chapter Ten**

Tifa told herself that he had had a valid reason for avoiding Cloud, that she'd just forgotten it as she skirted around the back of 7th Heaven to avoid him and the rumbling Fenrir he was working on. She knew, in the back of her mind, that there was no scientifically valid reason for her sudden avoidance of the swordsman, but the strange feeling she'd been getting from him for the past few days kept nagging at her. Now that she actually thought of it, she'd been long since getting the feeling from a certain ex-Turk, but he'd been that way since they'd met, so she supposed she was already used to it.

The uneasy feeling she had around Vincent had spread to Cloud, but why? Around Cloud now hung an invisible cloud (A/N: A CLOUD-CLOUD! HAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm done.) of… not evil, but anxiety, and… fear?

_No, that can't be right_. Tifa shook her head. How could people like Cloud, or Vincent for that matter, be truly scared of anything? Except for maybe Hojo and Sephiroth, both of whom were long since gone.

As she crept into the side door of the bar, Tifa didn't notice a pair of crimson eyes studying her, blinking once as she closed the door behind her.

Vincent hid in the shadows as Tifa passed, leaning against the side of a small, dilapidated building beside the bar. He hadn't really expected Tifa to show up, but had taken the opportunity to watch her. He knew that she'd sensed the strange aura around Cloud, and was taking every opportunity to examine the matter more closely. There was a reason he knew a little about everything; because he paid attention.

Vincent, although he wasn't particularly proud of the fact, was and ex-Turk. And once a Turk, always a Turk.

The Turks of Vincent's time were the Turks of legend, the ones told as bed-time stories, the ones everyone idolized and feared. The best of the best. All were capable of the basic skills required for a Turk, such as stealth, loyalty, dedication, and a proficiency in at least five languages. The ability to lie, and detect lies perfectly was taught nearly first thing to all new recruits. Along with the basic skills, each Turk brought their own specialty to the corporation; Reno's baton, or Vincent's own expert gunmanship.

But even amongst the best of the best, there was a sort of hierarchy.

The "New Recruits" – Usually only a few at a time; often placed with a Turk pair, until they earn their own way up the ranks.

Turk Partners – The majority of Turks, assigned to another Turk partner, working together flawlessly to get the job done, no matter what.

Turk Commanders – Usually over 5-6 partners, a select leadership of ten Turks that have proved themselves enough to earn it. Makes sure the partners are "Doing it right"

And finally, the Head Turk. Very few select Turks have attained the position, the very top of the organization, second only to the President himself. Since the Turk's establishment, only six Turks have actually attained the position. To actually reach it, a Turk Commander had to be recommended by the President, and then elected, unanimously by the entirety of the Turks. Since Turks actually rarely agree on anything, the President was usually the one actually running things.

Vincent was snapped out of his little personal history session by a loud crack as something bounced off the wall, right next to his head. Cerberus was out almost immediately as he scanned his surroundings for the attacker.

"Now!" Vincent's eyes widened as a shout echoed and a rain of bullets started to rain down on him from all directions.

He ducked down behind some thick wooden boxes and tried to keep himself as small as possible. The barrage continued relentlessly. He peeked over the top of the box, barely able to see, but was forced to duck back down as the fire grew thicker.

_How is this going so unnoticed by everyone?_ Vincent wondered, searching for his phone. This was one problem he'd be hard-pressed to solve by himself.

He flipped the phone open and hit the speed-dial for Cloud's phone, holding to his cramped ear.

"Hello?" A completely non-worried Cloud answered, Fenrir rumbling in the background.

"Cloud. I've got a bit of a problem." Vincent slid to the left a little as the bullets began penetrating the right side of the box.

"Where are you?" Vincent peeked over the box, firing at a few black-suited persons who were slowly advancing on the box, then ducked back down.

"Back of the bar. Hurry." Vincent flipped the phone shut, slid it back into its little case attached to his belt, the dove out from behind the box, just as it exploded. The shrapnel splinters of wood bounced against his mantel as he jumped up and sprinted to another box, this one slightly closer to the bar, firing Cerberus the entire way.

The black-suits continued to advance for a split second, but then paused, all holding their ear. Vincent managed to fire at a few of them, taking four out in a matter of seconds, but then he was just firing at empty air as they all just… vanished.

"Vincent?" Vincent swung his head to the side and saw Cloud and Tifa standing there, battle-ready and extremely confused.

"You're a little late." Vincent gestured at the ally behind him, then, seeing the duo's confused looks, looked back at the ally.

The entire battle-scene had been wiped completely clean. Even the shattered box had been repaired. Vincent, for once in his life, was completely confused. He turned back to the pair, said confusion written all over his face.

"Uh…" Cloud scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"This is strange." Vincent whispered as he stood and swept past the two. "I'll be in the study. There's research I must do."

Cloud and Tifa looked at the retreating back of the gunman, shrugged at each other, and went back into the bar.

_Okay… sorry this is so short, and took so long. I'd have it longer, but with school, and I'm going to Elitches today! But, I'm taking my laptop with me, so expect another update later on this evening ._


	11. Chapter 11

**Running With Monsters**

Chapter Eleven

Vincent dove into his research in earnest, determined to find the answers for his unanswered questions. Although he loathed admitting it, the entire situation had him completely at a loss. The Phoenix Gang; were the disappearing soldiers connected to the cloning sect? And, he was still working on the problem of not having a left arm. (1) So far, the lack of a left hand hadn't been to bothersome, he'd been using his right as his main hand since Hojo, but it was still a problem in need of fixing. He had already considered a replacement like Barrett's, but it seems that Hojo, while playing God, had made it so only the specially made gauntlet would actually work for the gunman. The attempted attachment of anything different was extremely painful. So for now, he'd have to just deal with the stump.

There was another, slightly more pressing problem though: Chaos. After Deepground and Omega, Vincent had been positive that the demon's presence had returned to the planet, although he still retained the ability to take on its form, and the Proto-materia. But he'd transformed in the hospital, twice, (into Galian, then Chaos once he'd gotten outside) against his will. It had hurt too. Although hospitals were still an extremely unwelcome place, they'd never invoked THAT kind of reaction in him.

Also, if Chaos was still… with him, why hadn't he acted earlier? There were multiple instances Vincent could pull off the top of his head where the demon's power would've been extremely welcome.

Vincent cursed as a door slammed, pulling him away from the current tomb he was engrossed in as he looked towards the source of the noise.

Tifa stood in the doorway, eyes wide in shock as she looked at the stack of books she'd just knocked over, the door still trembling slightly behind her where it had slammed shut.

"Sorry." Tifa smiled, embarrassed, as she walked over to Vincent, who nodded at her apology, then watched her progress over to the table he was working at. She craned her neck over the thick volumes; glancing over their titles before focusing in on the one he had open.

"Running With Monsters?" Tifa asked, naming the current book, which was propped up on a glass reading table, with the spine label clearly visible through the glass. Vincent looked up at her for the first time since she'd entered.

"You read the Language of the Ancients?" He asked, rare surprise showing on his face. Tifa blushed.

"I've been working on it. I figure that knowing a few extra things won't hurt in life." She sat in the padded chair across from Vincent's, sinking gratefully into the thick upholstery with a sigh. Vincent continued to look at her for a moment more, then nodded his agreement and relaxed back into his own chair.

"It's a lucky find I… acquired, by chance, in one of my jobs in Wutai." Tifa looked at the suddenly charismatic gunman.

"Wutai? Oh, back when you were still a Turk. What were you doing there?" Tifa bit her lip as soon as the question had tumbled out, but it was a little late to regret. The best she could do was hope he'd answer, instead of just ignoring her.

"Yes. And I suppose I've kept some things from everyone." He sighed, placed a silk ribbon to mark his place, and closed the book. "There are some things I believe everyone would like to know, correct?" He asked, looking at Tifa, who nodded hesitantly, not quite believing what was happening.

"Very well. Please, gather the others who wish to know and meet me in the foyer in a few minutes. I need to collect my thoughts for this." Vincent stood, and swept past Tifa, opening the door, then disappearing through it with a soft click as it swung shut. Tifa continued to sit there, stunned, but soon jumped up, eager to get the others and hear the gunman's story.

Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Barrett, and Cid were gathered in the foyer, lounging on the couch or in the deep chairs, waiting for the elusive Vincent Valentine to make an appearance. Tifa sat as far away from Cloud's cloud as she could without being obvious, but the feeling of darkness still lingered. The blond she was avoiding was sitting in his own chair, still brooding over who-knew-what. Barrett, Yuffie, and Cid were involved in a rather violent three-way thumb war. The rest of the group were keeping an eye out in the town, but would be hearing whatever was said when they returned.

A loud thud echoed through the thick silence, and everyone looked up, except for Yuffie, who let out a triumphant yell as she pinned Cid's thumb, earning a round of glares in her direction.

The door swung open easily, and everyone, including the little ninja this time, watched Vincent walk in, a large crate supported by his remaining hand leaning against his chest. He set the box on the table in the front of the room. He turned and, remaining standing, looked at the small audience that had gathered. A awkward silence took its proper place for the next little while, until it was interrupted by Yuffie.

"Well, a gay baby was just born.(2) What's the deal Vincent? We're all waiting." Yuffie received the next round of glares with a shrug, and returned her attention to the gunman, obviously waiting. Vincent looked at her curiously, then sighed and sat in the tall-backed chair at the front of the room.

"I've come to understand something of late. I've become acquainted with all of you over the past, yet even though I've shared very little of my past, I'd like to think I'm trusted here. So, I've decided that it's about time I was a little more open." Vincent continued speaking, oblivious to the curious stares he was receiving from the group.

"I assume you all know my basic history; of my former affiliation with the Shinra Turks and Lucrecia, the former about which I will not bore you." The group nodded as a whole, engrossed in the ex-Turks sudden monologue.

"But I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you about my time with the Turks. There are some… experiences, that I've kept hidden, but not without reason. As I tell my story, please be aware that this was in a different time, with different rules, and different obligations and morals."

_HA! I'm sorry… I really need to update more. But, it's almost the weekend, but, unfortunately Homecoming is this weekend… so I don't think an update is in store… but that's why I'm putting this up in the middle of the week. (Also, I'm procrastinating homework. :P Anyways, enjoy torturing yourselves with this fun little drop-off! _

_**(1) : Oh come on! You don't remember? Hojo took it! (please ignore anytime previously I mentioned it and confused everyone… *sweatdrop*)**_

_**(2) : I'm really hoping that this doesn't offend anyone… it's just that my sister is EXACTLY like Yuffie personality-wise, and that's totally something she'd say!**_

_**Oh, and you finally discover the reason for the name of the story! And don't worry, more will be revealed next chapter!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Running With Monsters**

**Chapter Twelve**

"In the days of my youth, the Turks, along with the Shinra Corporation were things of legend. You'd hear stories of the Turks bringing criminals to justice and their incredible feats of strength and bravery. You never heard of everyone else they'd 'brought to justice', or the exact method of how their jobs were done, but no one ever really questioned it. They just embraced the idea of protectors with that much skill.

I, as a young boy particular, was completely enthralled with the Turks. I would talk about them, I was told, non-stop and with a religious fervor. And I was ridiculed for it."

The listeners to Vincent's story sat silently, completely taken into the story of the elusive gunman, with Yuffie's muffled giggles at imagining a young Vincent completely unnoticed.

"When I was a child, Shinra had yet to instigate a public schooling system. My parents, however, were both scientists, and believed education to be of the utmost importance. I was enrolled in a rather upstanding private school. My mother died in my first year, right after Christmas, of what we now know was Geostigma." Vincent ignored the round of surprised noises and continued to explain.

"Apparently, although I didn't know until very recently, she had been very involved in the JENOVA project. Remember that this was years before Sephiroth and Hojo. My father mourned her until his own dying day, but I didn't understand death back then. To me, she had just left us, and I hated her for it. My father was a wreck, and we went many days without fresh food and a clean house.

With my home life in such disarray, I turned to school as a sanctuary. I dove into my studies with vigor, and was soon moved into the next grade, and then the grade above that.

Unfortunately, the administration considered only intelligence when moving me up. The older children saw me as a threat, and seemed to make it their personal war.

What they relied upon most in their attacks was actually my name. They would make up unimaginative nicknames and insults. I remember one, 'Vickie Valentine'. Oh how I loathed every second of it, and they knew it.

By the time my tenth year of school came around, I'd grown to my full height, but so had they, and they'd filled out much more than I. They used that to their advantage. So I turned to a way, any way, to defend myself.

I found a teacher, actually," He turned to Tifa, who was slightly shocked at the interruption in the story. "I believe he taught Master Zangan.

He taught me not only how to defend and attack, but when and why. Morals were taught to me that were completely foreign from the ones my parents had lived by. Honesty, Courage, Dedication, and Loyalty were key points in his teachings, and I lived by them, and grew because of them.

I was a fast learner, and within a year and a half, I could easily best even my master. So, I moved on. I learned to shoot.

My first gun was my best friend. It was a small .22, really only good for shooting cans off a fence, but it was the one thing in my life that obeyed me, and did what I asked without sneering in my face.

My teacher was a very open and brutally honest person, so when she told me I was good, it meant so much more than it ever had.

I learned fast, but my schooling was nearly over, and the rest of my class was determined to go out with a bang. I had kept all my training a secret, but, had they known, maybe they would have retreated.

My father died in his line of work during my last year, barely three weeks before my graduation. Around that time, I had once again surpassed a master, and was given Cerberus and Quicksilver.

Cerberus usually stayed home along with Quicksilver, though I longed to have them with me.

The day of graduation was the day when the worst 'prank' occurred. It was headed by the two boys who had tormented me through the years, and I won't go into the details. But it was an awful prank, which targeted me directly. But what they did involved a bunch of younger children, who were not volunteers in their scheme, and cause physical harm to them, to get to me. The administrators ignored their scheme, but I found I could not sit and watch. I fought both of them, and beat them.

They did not take defeat kindly. One of them had a gun on their person, and tried to use it against me. I… was forced to act. He was a threat, and I eliminated that threat.

I was released from repercussions since my actions were those of self defense. I did go to the boy's funeral, although I knew I wasn't welcome.

It was there that I met an actual Turk, one who was curious of the current situation. I discovered there that the corporation had heard of my so-called 'prowess', and had sent a recruiter. I joined the Turks the day after I turned 19.

I took to the work immediately, enjoying every minute of training. They taught me to become darkness, to see through the thickest of schemes and lies, and improve my already-impressive skills. I was the first Turk to graduate from training at 20, the youngest ever. My partner, Veld, was ten years my elder, yet I was the one taking and giving the orders, leading the missions, and getting the credit. Soon, I was working alone as a Commander, going on the rather covert missions by myself, eliminating the target easily and without hesitation. I heard the stories and rumors that some had spread, saying that I wasn't human, that I was ruthless and cold, but I ignored them.

When I was 25 I was promoted to Head Turk, the position only six people ahead of me had obtained. I made changes to the organization, made it better, more efficient.

There was only one instance where I had a moral conflict. When I was asked to assassinate one Lucrecia Crescent.

My goal was to get close to her, discover the secrets of her project, and destroy her. Unfortunately, the closer I got to her, the harder my objective became.

The day I was… killed, for lack of a better description, I had just resigned from the Turks, set on a life with her. We were going to run away together from Shinra, who was less than pleased with my choice.

When I went to fetch her, I saw her with Hojo, tried to fight him, and was shot. When I awoke, I was the way I am now, and Sephiroth had just been born. While I was still very weak from his experiments, Hojo trapped me in the coffin which could not be opened from the inside.

The rest, well, is history."

Vincent's story ended and he sat, watching for reactions. The group assembled in front of him sat still for a small time, then exploded in a cacophony of noise as everyone started asking questions. Vincent internally winced, his stumped arm flexing slightly.

"Wow." The noise died down as everyone turned to Cloud, who had remained silent except for that one exclamation. Yuffie tilted her head at him, like a confused puppy.

"What? Oh come on, did you really expect a happy little story from mister Grumpy here?" Yuffie pointed at Vincent sideways with her thumb.

"No, I'm just kinda in shock that you actually told us all that stuff." Cloud rested his chin on his fist, studying the now-uncomfortable gunman.

Tifa looked puzzled. "Wait a second; didn't you say you had a sister?" She asked, and the group looked at Vincent for a reply. Vincent looked at Tifa, and then nodded.

"I do. I've reason to believe she's still alive, but I haven't been able to locate her. She's probably better off going on with her life un-interrupted. The materia I gave Marlene was one out of the collection she gave me when I joined to Turks." Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a soft rap on the door.

The group jumped up into different defensive stances, Vincent melting into the shadows of a corner. The door opened, and a pale female head stuck itself in.

"Hello?" The figure of a lanky young girl stepped in, with black silky hair falling to the middle of her back and eyes the color of a warm fire; red, but with hints of orange and yellow. She was wearing a long, heavy dark coat that reached to her shins, and black jeans and t-shirt. As they all looked, even Tifa was struck with a slight pang of jealousy at the teen's simple and innocent beauty.

Suddenly, Vincent shot out of the shadows, grabbing both of the girl's hands in his own, scowling fiercely.

"Speak of the Devil, and the Devil shall appear. But, no. You couldn't be Rosalyn… could you?" His glare softened into confusion as he looked harder over the girl, who looked barely 17. She glared back in confusion, then twisted like a snake out of his grip and twirled, foot catching him in the midriff and sending him crashing back over the sofa and onto the floor.

"Creep! And no, you must be talking about my mother. I'm Natalie. Natalie Valentine. And," She turned to the rest of the group, a sudden and unexpected smile playing over her features. "I'm looking for Vincent Valentine. Anybody know who he is? I heard he's been hanging out here lately."

Vincent sat in shock as the entire room turned to stare at him, except for Natalie, who was completely ignoring everything and looking into the fireplace, watching the sparks fly into the air and die.


	13. Chapter 13

RUNNING WITH MONSTERS

Chapter Thirteen

Vincent sat, in shock at the young woman who was sitting across from him. The rest of the gang had excused themselves, knowing that and angry Vincent was a scary Vincent. When Natalie had barged in, he'd been taken completely by surprise, and had actually been beaten in the scuffle that had followed. For the first time since he'd been a beginner Turk, Vincent Valentine was sulking in defeat. Sure, he'd been beaten many times since then, but he hadn't been such a sore looser. Unfortunately, when Vincent was sore about losing, he tended to turn to revenge. And Vincent Valentine revenge is the revenge of legends.

"Exactly who are you?" Vincent asked, voice slightly strained with the effort of stopping himself from whipping Cerberus out and demanding an apology at gunpoint. Natalie looked up from her nails, which she'd been frustratingly interested in since she'd sat down, and frowned slightly at Vincent.

"You know, I still don't believe you're the famous Vincent Valentine. For starters," She ignored Vincent's low, slightly inhuman growl and continued. "I… you look nothing like my mother. I really don't see how you can be related." Vincent narrowed his crimson eyes at the young girl across from him, who looked like the female version of a much younger him.

"Rosalyn took after our mother; myself, and apparently you, my father." Vincent reached into the unfathomable depths of his cloak and withdrew a crumpled, slightly blood-stained picture. He handed it to Natalie, who took it delicately in her own and smoothed it out, avoiding the dark splotches of dried blood.

The picture was faded and browned with age, but the figures in the picture were even more alien to her. She could recognize Grimoire Valentine from the photos her mother owned, but the rest of the family was nearly unrecognizable. If she looked hard enough, she could just recognize the blond, blue-eyed young girl who was tugging on her brother's coat, as her mother. It was the brother who was completely alien to the entire picture. While the rest of the family, including her mother, was looking sober and serious at the camera, the teenage boy, with raven-black hair and warm red eyes, was making the goofiest face he could manage, fingers in the corner of his mouth, stretching it out, with his eyes cross-eyed, tongue stuck out. Natalie laughed out loud at the look Grimoire was giving him out of the corner of his eyes. She handed the picture back to Vincent, who took it and placed it back in one of his many pockets.

"Who was that kid? The funny one?" She looked at Vincent and tilted her head. "It couldn't have been you. You're to serious-looking." Vincent glared at her.

"It was a long time ago." He sat back down and looked hard at her as she remained slightly shocked at the revelation. The man sitting before her was a silent, cold, and slightly angry, broken man. So different from the happy, prankster-ish young teen in the pictures. From the story of suffering she'd been eavesdropping on outside the window, she could look for the hidden bruises and scrapes partially hidden under his sleeves from the abuse he'd endure for so long. But none of it showed on his happy-go-lucky face. She looked back at the dark gunman sitting before her, wondering if the happy teen was trapped under his shell, begging for release. Then she really looked over him, taking in the guns strapped to his waist, the stump of an arm hidden behind his red mantle, his pointy golden-bronze feet, and realized that the teen had died long ago.

"Oh, come on. It couldn't have been that long ago. Cameras weren't this good until about 50 years ago." She looked at him, smirking. "You don't look older than maybe twenty-five. This is weird, because here it looks like my mom is younger than you. And she's about sixty. Is there another sister you're hiding?" Natalie looked at him sideways. He shook his head. She blanched. "How old are you? Really?" He frowned.

"I was 25 when I left. If I hadn't left, then I would be nearly seventy around now..." Natalie's jaw dropped.

"W-what? What the hell? You better not be pulling my leg." Vincent glared at her.

"For starters, I don't tolerate those who are vulgar without reason. And, I'm not, as you so elegantly put, "Pulling your leg". Do not make assumptions. You'll only make enemies. There is much people don't know about the world, and those who inhabit it, though many assume they do. Do not doubt those who you know are honest for a reason as shallow as ignorance." Natalie was slightly taken aback by Vincent's tirade. She'd been brought up in the exact same way, even though she'd rebelled with every fiber of her being.

"You really are my uncle, aren't you?" She said, looking down at her feet in slight resignation. She saw Vincent nod and shrug slightly out of the side of her eye.

"Whether or not you embrace that fact, though, is your own choice. I am not inclined to be responsible for those unwilling to accept help. And even then, why would you be in need of any? And that brings us to my main question. Why are you here?" Vincent sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his fist. Natalie looked up at him, and for the first time Vincent noticed her wet eyes.

"My mother, Rosalyn, was assassinated a week ago. I want help finding who did it. I went through her journals and albums, and found a bunch of newspaper clippings and stories about you, and she'd written so much about you. It was weird; she kept talking in the past-tense." Vincent watched as a sudden realization dawned on her face, and she looked at him in a slightly horrified surprise.

"She never knew you were still alive. And you never told her." She looked down at her shoes.


	14. Chapter 14

**Running With Monsters**

**Chapter 14**

Vincent looked down at his hand, no emotion showing except for a small hint of remorse. Anyone who knew him would be amazed at even this small show of emotion, but Natalie was livid at the lack of reaction her realization procured. She stood, fuming, and went to smack the gunman. He caught her hand without looking up at her, and gently, but firmly, pushed her back to her seat.

"You must understand." He whispered, still not looking at her. "Your mother, Your sister and I, we never got along. Even as children, we fought with near consistency. When I was barely ten, she had already broken my right arm, and I had set her room on fire. Our mother had died when I was six, and our father remained as a Scientist for Shinra, in Midgar.

Our 'nanny', as she chose to be addressed, was only present when my father visited, to collect her heavy paycheck. Eventually, she went missing, and my father passed away. The remainder of our estate was split between her and I, and I used most of mine during my time with the Turks, while she used hers to get mine from me." Vincent broke off and took a deep breath, looking at Natalie for the first time since he started speaking.

"Your mother was a good person, don't misunderstand me. I held no ill will after her attempts, but we did not communicate unless it was necessary." Natalie was taken aback by his sudden stop in the story, and looked into the ex-Turk's crimson eyes, but looked away quickly. She spoke as he had, without looking at him.

"She missed you. Ever since I was born, my nights were full of her crying herself to sleep. Maybe it was my dad dying, but some of it was definitely you. She'd hold an old school picture with both of you in it and just say 'sorry' over and over."

Vincent didn't show any reaction as the information seeped into him. He took another deep breath and continued as though nothing else had been said.

"She was furious when I joined the Turks, which was what drove her to seek my share of the money left to us. The legal process was sloppy, but I did come out victorious within two months, and continued my training without further interruption.

My first weapon was actually from her. A small .22 pistol, slightly dented and scratched on the pommel, but fired without any complications. It was destroyed when I joined, due to my own foolishness. I sent her what remained, along with a small amount of gil to repay her. One week later, I received Quicksilver, and a note saying she 'wouldn't take whatever pity I offered her, no matter the situation.'"

He awkwardly reached into a shoulder holster, drawing out the small but deadly gun, and handed it to Natalie. She cradled it, tears shining in her eyes as she held one last reminder of her mother. They sat in silence for a while, before Natalie gather herself and held the gun out for Vincent.

He shook his head, and pushed it back to her.

"I have no need. You have a greater reason to have it. If you so desire, I will teach you how to use it." She looked up at him, confused, but nodded her agreement. He removed Cerberus from his thigh holster, and began cleaning it as he continued to talk, his voice slightly harsh from the sudden extended use after minimum use for so long.

"Ironically, it was that gun that helped me pass my final test to truly join the Turks, the very thing she'd been fighting against. Unfortunately, it received little use, since most of my jobs were assassinations, and I was required to use an actual rifle, due to the overall disbelief that I was as accurate as I am, and I didn't do as much field work as I rose in rank. When I became Head Turk, I invited Rosalyn to come visit. She did out of a sense of familial obligation, she told me so herself, so when I offered her a place to stay in the mansion I had obtained, which is now called Shinra Mansion, she turned me down immediately, and we fought again. That was a week before I was shot, and I never saw her again." Natalie looked up in shock when Vincent mentioned his 'death', and he noticed, sighing.

"I'm sure the others could tell you the story. They are more adept at retelling such tales. I'm sure they'll also fill you in on the events of the war not well-known to the public." He raised his voice slightly as he said, "Won't you."

He smirked behind his high collar as Natalie jumped when Yuffie charged in, a ridiculous grin on her face as Tifa, Barrett, Cloud, Red, Cait Sith, Reeve, and Cid tried to hide behind her slim frame. Vincent chuckled to himself. He had heard them outside the door slightly after he'd begun his story.

As everyone blushed and Yuffie started conversing excitedly with Natalie, Vincent stood and moved to leave. Cloud noticed, and motioned to the others to stay with the girl while he followed the gunman. The blond shut the door behind him as he and Vincent stood silently in the hallway.

"Is all that true?" He whispered, and the stoic gunslinger nodded. Cloud ran his hand through his hair, making it even more spiky than usual. Vincent remained leaning against the wall, eyes closed at he spoke.

"I do not know what to do. The presence of Natalie makes my goal even more difficult to obtain." He admitted, much to Cloud' surprise, and said nothing else until Cloud asked,

"What exactly is the plan here? I mean, with.. what did you call them... the Phoenix Gang, on the loose, we HAVE to be on guard. I hate to even consider it, but what if..."

"Natalie is a spy." Vincent said it so surely, Cloud was taken aback.

"What?"

"She doesn't know it herself, but it seems that the group has perfected brainwashing at its highest level. I have no doubt that she is indeed Rosalyn's daughter, but the signs are there. My sister is alive, but most likely held by the Phoenix's. Tell Natalie only the basics. Nothing we'd keep secret from the public, but enough to get her trust. Do not mention Aeris. I will be in the study if you need me."

And with this, he turned with a flash of red and was gone, leaving Cloud opened-mouthed in the middle of the hallway in shock.

Vincent walked through the heavy hardwood doors into the study and picked up the book he'd left when Tifa had entered. He flipped to the section he'd been studying. A large demonic image jumped from the page as the echo of Chaos' long-gone laughter echoed in his head. The demon was in fact his demon.

Running With Monsters was the only remaining record of Chaos and Omega, after Lucrecia's notes had been destroyed. He given an arm and a leg to get it, but it was little compared to what he had been prepared to give. The merchant he'd bought it from had nearly thrown it away before Vincent had noticed it and offered a ridiculous amount for the tomb.

As he read, his awareness of the black orb that had replaced the Proto-materia in his chest grew, as did his discomfort as he read about the thing.

"_The Proto-materia known to control Chaos has only one counterpart and weakness. The Devil Materia, though there is only one of it's kind, has the power to grant the Chaos demon the power of Omega, and complete control over all who oppose it."_ Vincent supposed that included him, since he opposed the demon having any control over him, but continued reading.

_"The only way to stop the Chaos demon's assault is for the Proto-materia to be re-introduced with the creature. Then, whoever possesses said materia shall have enough control over the demon to remove the Devil Materia."_

Vincent put down the book again as he thought about what he'd just read. Knowing what he now did, he went back down to the area he'd left Natalie and the others. He pulled Cerberus out of his pocket and kicked in the door as he ran into the room. Everyone jumped as the heavy door crashed open and he appeared next to Natalie, three-barreled gun resting on her temple. The girl sat rigidly still as the group started yelling at him.

"Vincent!"

"What the #^$ do ya' think you're doin'?"

"Vinnie!"

"Oi, Vamp!"

"Vincent..."

He held up his golden claw to silence them, and they all quieted immediately.

He looked down at the girl's face, and forced himself to look into her frightened eyes coldly.

"I'm sorry, but I need to ask you something." And with that, he removed the gun from her head, but as she took in a sigh of relief, swung it, hitting her hard with the pommel, knocking her unconscious immediately.

Cloud joined him as he looked down at Natalie. The rest of the group stayed quiet, listening to the two.

"What happened?"Cloud asked, wondering at the gunslinger's sudden change of heart. Vincent sighed, and turned to the group.

"I'm sorry, but I need to speak with you all soon. Please, meet me in the study momentarily. I will move Natalie, then meet you all there.

_A/N_

_Okay, so I haven't updated this story in months. I know, and I apologize. You can blame me, but only reviews and threats will motivate me to write faster. I have ACT's in two days, and I needed a way to relieve stress, so I wrote this. Another chapter will probably be up within the week, now that it's regained my interest. _

_Oh, and I'm in desperate need of a Beta reader. I need someone that's willing to give me honest, but very quick feedback and editing, so you all don't have to wait. It's really just the little things that need fixing, like small word mix-ups that I miss. I myself am a grammar fanatic, but if I re-read my stuff too much, then I'll be re-writing the same chapter for days. _

_Thanks for reading, and putting up with me!_

_ - Jidt_


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